At 8:00 ET, the Miami Heat will travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in a non-conference matchup. The Thunder are currently favored by 8.5 and have a record of 43-19, which is good for 2nd in the Western Conference. The Heat, who are 35-27 and 6th in the Eastern Conference, are listed at +277 on the moneyline.

This game will be played at Paycom Center and can be seen on KSBI.

MIAMI HEAT VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK

The Pick: Miami Heat +8.5

This game will be played at Paycom Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, March 8th.

WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-116 in favor of the Heat.
  • Our projections have Terry Rozier finishing with Terry Rozier points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.7% and knocking down 11 threes.

Do the Heat Have What it Takes on the Road?

The Heat have gone 29-30 ATS this season, including a 17-12 record on the road. They have failed to cover the spread in their last three games and are 10-17 ATS as the underdog this season.

Miami’s O/U record for the season is 24-38, and 34 of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s (223.5). On average, their games have finished with 220.7 points.

In their last game, the Heat lost to the Mavericks by a score of 114-108. The O/U line for that game was 230 points, and Miami was getting 4.5 points.

Overall, the Heat are 35-27 this season and are currently 6th in the Eastern Conference. Against other teams in the East, they are 23-16 and 11-2 against their division.

As the underdog, the Heat have lost their last two games and are 10-17 as the underdog this season. On the road, they are 18-14 compared to 17-13 at home.

So far this season, the Heat are 27th in the NBA in scoring at 110.7 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 107.9 points per game.

Miami has outscored the league average in just 35.5% of their games and are currently 29th in pace at 96.2 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, the Heat are 23rd at 46%.

When it comes to three-point shooting, Miami is 6th in the league at 37%. However, they are just 29th in two-point field goals made and 26th in two-point field goal percentage.

At this time, the Heat’s defense is positioned 6th in the NBA, permitting 110.0 points per game. On two point field goal attempts, the Heat’s defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 55.1% and allowing 36.3% from beyond the arc.

Can the Thunder Pull Off a Home Win?

As the Thunder look to extend their home winning streak to eight games, they are favored by 8.5 points against the Heat. In games where they have been favored, Oklahoma City has gone 34-12 and 28-18 ATS.

Oklahoma City’s average scoring margin at home this season is +11.8 points per game. On the road, their scoring margin is +3.7 PPG. Their ATS record at home is 21-9 and 39-23 overall.

In terms of their O/U record, the Thunder are 34-27-1 for the season. Today’s O/U line of 223.5 is lower than their season average of 233.9. In 58 of their 62 games, the O/U line has been higher than 223.5.

Oklahoma City’s most recent game was a 128-120 win over the Trail Blazers. The O/U line for that game was 224.5, and the Thunder were favored by 13 points. This improved their overall record to 43-19, which is 2nd in the Western Conference.

Against the spread, the Thunder have gone 39-23 this season, but they have failed to cover in their last two games. In their win over the Blazers, they were favored by 13 points but won by eight.

When it comes to scoring, the Thunder are one of the top teams in the league, averaging 121 points per game (2nd). At home, they are even better, averaging 123.6 points per game.

So far this season, the Thunder have outscored the NBA scoring average in 69.4% of their games. In terms of pace, they are 11th in the league at 99.8 possessions per game.

One of the keys to the Thunder’s success on offense has been their three-point shooting. They are currently 1st in three-point shooting percentage at 39%. Overall, they are shooting 50% from the field (2nd).

Currently, the Thunder’s defense holds the 13th rank in the NBA, allowing 113.4 points per game. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Thunder are forcing 11.6 per game, which is 2nd in the league. They also come into the game sitting 1st in blocked shots at 6.7 per game.